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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27803590">Ice and Blood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobraOnTheCob/pseuds/CobraOnTheCob'>CobraOnTheCob</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Catharsis 'Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aang salt, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anti Aang, Anti Kataang, Anti-Kataang, Bloodbending (Avatar), F/M, I let Katara swear as a little treat, anti-aang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:13:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,201</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27803590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobraOnTheCob/pseuds/CobraOnTheCob</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aang goes along on the Zuko and Katara field trip.</p>
<p>It goes as well as you'd think.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Katara (Avatar), Katara &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Catharsis 'Verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ice and Blood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Once again I am back with my Aang salt, is that a surprise?</p>
<p>This was started a few months ago, and I've managed to get the spoons to finish this! It's going to be a whole 'verse now, rip</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Then I’m going too.”</p>
<p>	Katara glares down from where she’s sitting on Appa, the take-off command about to leap off her tongue when Aang suddenly declares that he was going along with them.</p>
<p>	“What?” Zuko and Katara ask at the same time.</p>
<p>	“I’m going too,” Aang declares again. </p>
<p>	“Oh, I heard you the first time,” Katara said, but before she could say more, Sokka butted in.</p>
<p>	“It’s Katara’s turn to go on a life-changing field trip with Zuko,” Sokka said, “And they need to do it together. With each other, <i>only</i> each other.” </p>
<p>	“Thanks, Sokka,” Katara said, but noticed Aang’s eyes flick from her to Zuko and back as he processed Sokka’s words.</p>
<p>	“Really? What if they need me?” Aang demanded, directing his question at Sokka for some reason.</p>
<p>	“Well, if we needed a third person, we should’ve had Toph with us when we went to the firebending masters. Or Katara should’ve been with Sokka and I on Boiling Rock as extra insurance so that we didn’t have to worry about boiling to death half the time. This particular trip hardly warrants the need for you to come along.” Zuko said, a note of ire in his voice, if Katara heard that right.</p>
<p>	“You should be asking Zuko and Katara if they need you, not me,” Sokka said, taking a step back and sending an apologetic look to Katara. Aang turned his focus on Zuko and Katara.</p>
<p>	“I say no,” Katara said, locking her gaze with his, “You’re not coming with us.”</p>
<p>	“If Katara doesn’t want you tagging along, then you probably shouldn’t come,” Zuko said. Aang frowned.</p>
<p>	“Fine,” Aang said, “Have a nice revenge trip, I guess!” </p>
<p>	“Yip yip,” Katara hissed, ignoring Aang’s barb, and as Appa took off, she turned her attention to the sky.</p>
<p>	It was going to be a long journey.</p>
<hr/>
<p>After gaining the information from the captain, the pair are quick to jump onto Appa and fly over to Yon Rha’s island. They’re halfway there when they discover, or rather Katara does, that someone else in the air with them.</p>
<p>	It’s her bloodbending that alerts her to the unwelcome presence in the air, and although she tries to shut her mind off to the presence, the blood in whoever it is calls to her. </p>
<p>	It doesn’t help that the moon has been getting fuller and fuller by the passing days.</p>
<p>	She glances back to Zuko and silently signals to him that someone was nearby. Zuko stared in shock before signaling for her to do what needed to be done.</p>
<p>	So she flies Appa right at the cloud concealing the only person that could pull off a stunt like this.</p>
<p>	So here they were; Appa hovering in the clouds while in the saddle; Zuko and Katara looked down on a still-stunned Aang, still reeling from when she guided Appa into the cloud and smacked him with a water whip made from the cloud he was hiding in.</p>
<p>	“Explain yourself,” Katara said icily, “And make it fast, I don’t want to waste anymore time.”</p>
<p>	“I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t do something you regretted!” Aang snapped.</p>
<p>	“The one thing I do regret is not asking for Toph to use her metalbending to tie you up,” Katara snapped back, “Because I thought we all agreed that field trips with Zuko are between one person and him.”</p>
<p>“Well this time, it isn’t between you and him,” Aang said, “It’s going to be between the three of us.”</p>
<p>“Go back to the camp, Aang,” Katara said, exasperated, “It’s not going to be between the three of us, it’s only going to be between two, and you’re not welcome at the moment.”</p>
<p>“You can’t make me leave,” Aang said, almost smugly. Katara rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>“Fine, stay with us, but <i>stay out of our way</i>, you got that?” Katara said finally. </p>
<p>“Will do, Katara. Will do.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Aang kept true to his word and stayed out of their way as Katara and Zuko set up the trap to trip up Yon Rha, and stayed back when she confronted him.</p>
<p>It’s nearly insulting when Yon Rha doesn’t connect the dots fast enough, but hopefully the horror of her <i>stopping the rain and turning it into deadly icicles</i> would put the fear of all spirits into him.</p>
<p>It’s pathetic.</p>
<p>He begs for her to kill his mother instead - pathetic, who would offer their own <i>mother</i> up? </p>
<p>So Katara turns on her heel and walks away, aware of Zuko watching her back in case Yon Rha decides to try anything. Aang had been in the back the entire time, a black hood hiding his arrow so that Yon Rha wouldn’t make a fuss about the Avatar being within capturing distance, in case he noticed Aang. She stiffens slightly when he quickly moves to walk next to her.</p>
<p>“I’m so proud of you, Katara,” Aang whispers as they walk, and Katara’s spine stiffens even more than she thought it could, “I knew you could forgive him.”</p>
<p>Katara’s throat closed on herself, she couldn’t speak. Rage turned her blood white-hot, and she whirled around on her heel, and marched back to Yon Rha, her rage tunneling her vision. </p>
<p><i>You want me to be the paragon of purity?</i> Katara managed to think as she reached out for Yon Rha’s blood, almost desperately for it was day, but she knew how powerful she was. If she wanted to do it, she would. </p>
<p>	She reached and felt Yon Rha’s blood struggle against her will. She moved him, made him twist and jerk in pain, moving him like a wolf shaking its prey into submission. She heard the thud and a grunt of a body hitting another, but she tuned the noise of the scuffle going on behind her out in favor of focusing on Yon Rha. She forced his jaw to remain clenched to keep him from screaming.</p>
<p>	Katara twists her hands, in a motion that would ordinarily freeze water, which she figured would do the same to the water in the blood. The blood resists for a fraction of a second, but it bends to her will. Yon Rha’s eyes bulge as he almost gasps in pain, but Katara’s hold on his blood keeps him from screaming in pain in his last moments. She keeps the blood under her power until she can’t feel the blood move anymore. Adrenaline leaving her body, she releases the blood from her grip and watches as Yon Rha’s body slumps to the ground. </p>
<p>	Everyone is quiet for a few moments, saved for labored breathing. Katara turns to see that Zuko had pinned down Aang, sitting on his back and using his legs to keep Aang from using his arms and one hand over his mouth so that Aang doesn’t try to use his breath to push off the ground. Zuko glanced at Katara, but Katara only gestured for Zuko to get off Aang, she was done now. As soon as he did, Aang sprang to his feet, but before he could take a step towards Katara, Zuko grabbed him from behind. Katara stalked past the two, and Zuko tugged a reluctant Aang along. </p>
<p>	No one spoke as they jumped onto Appa, Aang taking the reins. No one spoke until Zuko did, glancing over Appa’s saddle.</p>
<p>	“Land us on Ember Island,” Zuko said to Aang.</p>
<p>	“Why?” Aang snapped.</p>
<p>	“It’ll be a good spot to hide, more permanent, and I know a place. Just land Katara and I there, take Appa and get the others.” Zuko said. Aang shrugged.</p>
<p>	“Fine,” Aang said, and tugged the reins to steer Appa to Ember Island. Landing in a secluded cove, Katara and Zuko quickly unpacked their things, and then Appa took off. Zuko led Katara to a large house. </p>
<p>	“What is this?” Katara asked, tired and harsh at the same time, looking up at the stairs before they started to ascend them.</p>
<p>	“It was my family’s vacation home here,” Zuko said, and when Katara glared at him, he defended this choice with, “No one will ever think to look here.”</p>
<p>	“Makes sense. Rooms.” Katara said suddenly, catching Zuko by surprise with her abrupt statement.</p>
<p>	“We have more than enough rooms for all of us, each one of us could take a room each and there are still rooms left over,” Zuko said.</p>
<p>	“Toph would want the room on the bottom floor, and Aang would want a room with access to the outdoors,” Katara said, “Sokka and Suki would probably want a room to themselves, but if they want, we’ll leave two rooms next to each other. If they’re going to be in the same room, though, I don’t want them anywhere near Toph or Aang.” Zuko frowned at her commentary, brow furrowed.</p>
<p>	“Why would - “ Zuko begins to ask, realizes what Katara was implying, and laughs nervously. </p>
<p>	“Yeah, that,” Katara deadpanned, and Zuko blushes.</p>
<p>	“Oh,” he said, “Then I guess we can take the rooms between Aang and Sokka and Suki?”</p>
<p>	“Sure,” Katara said with a shrug, “I’m going to take a nap.” </p>
<p>	“Wait,” Zuko said before she could turn to go to a room, “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>	“What makes you ask that?” Katara asks tiredly. Zuko shrugs.</p>
<p>	“Killing...is really difficult on the mind,” Zuko says cautiously. Katara doesn’t find herself getting mad at him, only feeling the full realization that she had killed someone for the first time. She just sits down and tries not to cry. Zuko also sits on the floor as well.</p>
<p>	“I don’t know how to feel,” Katara said after a minute of making sure she didn’t just break down and cry, “I...I just wanted to face him. Look him in the eye and tell him he has no power over me. When we found him, he was more pathetic than I thought, so maybe that’s why I initially let him go.”</p>
<p>	“And then Aang had to speak,” Zuko says bluntly and she nods.</p>
<p>	“If Aang hadn’t said a word, I wouldn’t have just...<i>snapped</i>. I would’ve walked away, and maybe felt a little better. I don’t know.”</p>
<p>	“He shouldn’t have said anything,” Zuko said quietly, “You had it all under control, you got what you wanted.”</p>
<p>	“Did I?” Katara asked, “I walked away because killing him wasn’t worth it. I killed him because I was tired of Aang putting me on a <i>fucking spirits-damned pedastal</i> and looking at me like I could do no wrong. And by wrong, I mean kill. We’re in the middle of a fucking war, we all are going to kill or have some part in someone’s death at some point.” Katara stood up rapidly and walked away.</p>
<p>	“Where are you going?” Zuko asked, and Katara turned her head.</p>
<p>	“I’ll be at the dock,” Katara said, “I need to think.”</p>
<p>	“Okay,” Zuko said, “Do you want me to bring them to you?” Katara shrugged.</p>
<p>	“Whatever they ask, you can do,” she said, “I’m ready, I just need to think.” Zuko nodded in acknowledgement, and Katara walked away.</p>
<hr/>
<p>She sees Appa’s shadow fly over her, but she looks at the horizon instead, slightly wishing that she would never have to face anyone but Zuko again. </p>
<p>	She hears footsteps approach, and she knows it’s Zuko and Aang. She keeps her back to them, not wanting to see Aang’s face.</p>
<p>	“You...you killed him,” Aang said, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>	“So?” Katara asked, “I’ve done it before, and so have you. We’ve all killed before.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t!” Aang tried to insist and she shook her head.</p>
<p>“Even if you’re not willing to count merging with La in the Northern Water Tribe, you and I brought down those airships on the Day of the Black Sun,” she said.</p>
<p>	“But they weren’t direct kills! They could’ve - “ he’s cut off by her standing up and whirling around, her fists clenched.</p>
<p>	“They’re dead by our hands, whether you like it or not,” Katara said coldly, “I know it’s hard to try and uphold your values, but war does it to all of us. Just...leave me alone. Please.”</p>
<p>	“I - “</p>
<p>	“What’s done is done,” Katara said finally, “You can’t go back in time to save Yon Rha, any less than I can to save my mother.”</p>
<p>	“How could you be like this? I thought - “</p>
<p>	“What? You thought I was like you?” Katara said, trying to keep her cool, “I’m not like you, Aang. None of us were raised in peace time, this is the life we know. So unless you actually have advice, leave me alone - for now, please.” </p>
<p>	“Fine,” Aang said, and walked away, almost pouting. She didn’t care, she looked at Zuko instead.</p>
<p>	“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive Yon Rha,” she said, “But I can forgive you.” Without warning, she flung herself at Zuko and hugged him tightly, and despite his shock, he returned the gesture. </p>
<p>	When they finally let go, Katara peered over his shoulder to make sure Aang was far away.</p>
<p>	“I...I need to speak with Sokka,” she said quietly, and he nodded and stepped to the side. No words need to be said, there was something new between them - something that made them read and understand the other better without speaking.</p>
<p>	She could work with this.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Nightfalcon, where's the Zutara?" the series'll lead up to Zutara, hold onto your hats!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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